Educational device



Patented May 3,1932

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STATE. PATENT ADDISON W. MCIJINTOCK AND JOHN W. RICE, OF CHAMPAIGN, ILLINOIS nnuonrroimr. DEVICE Application filed July 5, 1929.

v The present invention relates to an educational device and'the primary object of the invention is to provide a device for the assembly of certain portions thereof in the conv l5 struction of flags which in its use will be high? ly' instructive as well 'as'afliord considerable amusement to children in assembling flags or ensigns of the nations of the world. p A further object of the invention isto pro- 1 vide a device of this kind for educational purposes embodying a mounting board upon which the flag pieces may be assembled in various positions to fornrfiags of different nations. g 15 ,A further object of the invention resides in the novel construction of the mounting board and the manner in which the inter changeable flag pieces havingvarious configurations are'removably held in assembled relation upon the mounting board.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which will permit of the assembled flags being disposed invarious positions without likelihood of the assembledflag forming members falling fromthe mounting board. 7 Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent during the course of the following detailed. description, taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which drawin s, K

T Figure l is a perspective view of the device showing the representation of the United States flag and showing fragmentary portions broken away for illustrating details of construction.

Figure 2 is an'enlarged section on line 2-2 of Figure 1." i 1 Figure 3 is a perspective view 0 the rear sides of some of the flag pieces as would be required for constructing the United States flag. a

Figure 4 is a plan View showing the flag of Switzerland assembled in the holder.

'Figure 5 is a plan view showing the flag of France assembled in the holder. Figure 6 is an enlarged transverse section on line 6-6 of Figure 4.

F igure'? is a perspective view of a canton Serial No. 376,147.

in the form of a white cross for use in forming the flag of Switzerland.

Figure 8 is a perspective view looking at the rear side of a tri-eolored strip for the formation of tri-colored flags such as shown in Figure 5;

Referring to the drawings in detail, and wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the fiagassembling device has been shown including a mounting board or holder A for independently and removably receiving the flag forming pieces B, and O a staff for removable connection with the holder A.

The mounting board or holder A is of substantially fiat rectangular shaped formation and may be formed from wood or any other suitable materialrelatively light in weight. The front or upper edges with a shallow rectangular shaped recess or pocket 10 forming a bordering flange 11 extended about the marginal edges of the mounting board. pocket 10 is formed with straight side and end walls 12 as shown in Figures 2 and 6.

Arranged in the recess 10 is a series of rows of preferably cylindrical mounting pegs face of the mounting board is provided inwardly of its marginal This shallow recess or I 14: and which rows of pegs extend transversely of the recess. The rows of pegs are preferably four in number with the end rows spaced slightly from the end walls 12 of the recess 10 and with the rows of pegs mounted an equal distance apart as shown by dotted lines in Figures 4 and 5. The end rows of pegs are spaced equal distances from the end walls of the recess,.and the pegs of each row 7 are spaced at equal distances apart, as clearly shown in Figures 2 and 6. As will be obare preferably formed of wood, bear differsides, top and ends, and it is immaterial ent colors, certain of the strips being white and the others red. These strips 15 and 16 when alternately arranged provide the red and white stripes for formation of the United States flag. The strips are colored on their whether the bottom sides of the strips be colored or not." The stripe forming strips are of such thickness that when thirteen of the strips are arranged in side by side relation they will". -i snugly fit; imitheaheightiof the. re cess 10. The longer strips 16 are of a length equal to the length of the recess, whilethe shorter strips 15 are of such length that when,

disposed in abutting relation "atone'end with thecanton block 17 thesaid block willv extend fer the length ofl'the recess. The. strips 15 and 1.6. are of a height greaterthart thedepth of therecess 10 and are provided in; their 'undersidewith equally spaced-apart circular. I

sockets 18 of'a diameter to snugly receive the. mounting; pegs- .14- It may here .bewell to state the mountingpegs 14. are spacedon centersladistance equal to the thicknessof'the strips 15'fand 16 so that when the strips are arranged inside by side relation in the recess lO-on the pegs 14 no space will beleft-betweenadjacent strips. WVhenthe stripe form:

ing strips are inrengagement with the base of the recess 10,,the strips project well above.- the bordering flange; 11. which permits. ready and easy placing andi'removal ofjthe stripsin the recess. on themoun-ting pegs The canton 17 'for forming the blue field ofthe flagis-col'oredlblne at its ends, sides and top surface and. the blueft'opsurface is proyid-edifwith the tortyseightlwhite stars. The canton block:v is-of a. thickness equal to the h'eightof the strips. 15' and 2 1.6 so that. when placedfin the recessQIOthe upper surface of the block .will' extend flush with. the. upper edges of the. stripeformingstripsr. The under-sideof the canton block; 1.7. *is'. provided withpreferably two rows .of'sockets 20,. and whichv rowsflare spaced equal to the spacing oflthe rows'of mounting pegs 14;, andfwith the sockets. 20 of. each row spaced equally on centers similarto those of the. mountingpegs. This willlallow for the block to, be mounted I corner of' the recesslt). Thus itwillbelseen on .a-series of the pegs in the upperfleft'haiid that-. when the. pieces consisting of. the strips I5 and 16.an.d the block 17 areassembledfon-the. pegs-14. in the. recess. 10 that the representation of the. American flag. Will be. had, bordered bythe flange 11..

The staff CIisfalso .removable and mount.- ing oft-he staff" upon; the holder A. may-be. accomplished by the provision. ofa suitable number of pegs22 projectingnpwardlyfrom theflange l1 atone-end of the. recess 10 for fitting in suitable recesses 23providdin the underside of the preferably wooden staif O.

- The pegs 22 aside from forminga mounting forthe. staff Q also serveto designate the staff end of the flags when being assembled in the recess 10. This staff is preferably of rectangular shape in cross section and of such thickness as to project slightly above the upper surface oft-he flag assembled in the recess of the holder.

With reference particularly now to Figures l, 6 and 7 and wherein an assembly representing the flag of Switerzerland is shown,

the strips 16 are of identical construction as bllfihaof. the stripsr litawithixthefiexception that the strips 16 are colored red at their sides, ends-and top surface so that when a series of 13 of the strips are arranged in the recess 10 a solid red fieldwill be formed equal in area to the. areaof. the. recess..- Since the. flagf'of Switzerland has. a red. background with. .a white cross in. the center. ofv the; red back: ground, a novel constructiongfor the canton 17' is provided which permits. the cantonibeing disposed :in the center. of. the-red Lbacli ground formed, by the strips 1.6i Thecam ton 17 ispreferably formed fromr sheetmetal and includes awhite cross 30to: the. underside 0t which: is. secured as by soldering; or. the.

like, a metalfin 32wh-ich beinserted between. adjacent strips '16." aseshow'nimltig; ure 6-. This insertion lOf-. the ifiiI-. 32, between adjacent strips disposes the white cross-.in

substantially, surface contact?v with. the red field-formed; by'the strips. .161 and a slight bindingacti'onbf thestrips-upon thefinwill hold the canton place... InctherfQrmation. of difllerentrfiagsihaving thercantondis psed at different 1 locationsthe; canton may; e.) ct the. proper design and inserted, hither proper position up on; the field: tor-med the, proper strips. required for". formation .ot .theflag.

In. Figures- 5 and -8 and-wherein. the, flag forming, pieces are. placed to providethe; French flag, the strips 16 aretri-colored; having a white. central portion. with one end colored blue and: the otherrend colored; red, Thirteen of: the strips. 16" when properly placed in the recesslQ will form-, blue, white,

and red stripes representing the French flag;

the blue stripe being disposedat thestaii end of the-flag, adjacent-the staff; mounting .pegs122. Thus ithwill be seen that fiagsliofi different nations may be formed by! sets? of properly colored .stripsitogethcr withizn prop er. design of a canton. As an illustration,

thirteen red :stripsrand a canton as at"li7ff may form a set of pieces for formation of: the-flag o-fswitzerlan d', wl'rile seven short strips; as at 15 and six long strips; asatifif, together withthe cantonblock- 1'7, Inay form"a"set"o pieces of formation of the. American flag.-;.

, In the formatiOnoffiagssucl'I as sho wnin Figures 4: and 5, the strips for placing in. the recess 10" are each of a length equal'toathe length of the recess, andjif' shorter strips-are required for formation of 'anyr particular flag, Such. as. the strips. .15.- .show1r in Figure 3?:the

shorter strips are provided with at least two sockets for positioning over the pegs 14.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that an improved educational device for the assembly of certain portions thereof in the construction of flags has been disclosed which will afford much amusement as well as being instructive in the formation of flags of different nations. It will also be apparent that a novel arrangement has been disclosed wherein the flag representations will have a neat appearance when assembled and that the flag-forming pieces are so removably associated with the holder as to remain in position during handling of the assembled apparatus. It will also be apparent that by having the flag-forming pieces project above the bordering flange 11, that the child may easily and readily grasp the ends of the pieces for proper removal and placement of the same in the recess 10.

recess, a set of flag-forming Changes in detail may be made to the form of invention herein shown and described, without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the following claims.

We claim:

1. An educational device comprising a substantially flat mounting board having a shallow rectangular recess provided in its face side providing a marginal flange about the pieces adapted to be assembled in abutting relation upon the bottom surface of the recess and having a height greater than the depth of the recess, a staff member and means for releasably retaining the staff member in overlying relation upon the marginal flange at one end of the recess and in engagement with the said pieces.

2. An educational device comprising a substantially flat rectangular holder having a shallow rectangular recess provided in its face side forming a bordering flange about the recess, a set of flag-forming pieces adapt-' ed to be assembled in the recess, pegs projecting from the marginal flange along one side of the recess forming the staff end of the flag, and a staff member having recesses provided in one end thereof for positioning over the pegs provided in the bordering flange.

3. An educational device comprising a hold er having a recess provided in its face side, rows of equi-distantly spaced apart mounting pegs extended transversely of the recess and projecting upwardly thereinto, and flag forming pieces for assembling in the recess including a canton block having sockets in its underside for receiving a selected group of the mounting pegs, stripe-forming strips having sockets in their undersides for positioning over a selected group of the pegs at one end of the canton block, and longer stripeforming strips having sockets in their lower sides for positioning over a selected group 

